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9/30/2004
Contact: K.E. Schwab --
724-738-2199; e-mail: karl.schwab@sru.edu
SEPARATE: UNEQUAL:
UNWANTED:
A DISCUSSION OF HOW NATIVE AMERICAN
EXPERIENCESRELATE TO BROWN V. BOARD OF
EDUCATION
SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. – Dr. Frederick White,
assistant professor of English, and Dr. Rachela Permenter,
professor of English, will present “Separate: Unequal:
Unwanted: A discussion of how Native American experiences relate to
Brown v. Board of Education” as part of Slippery Rock
University’s semester-long examination of the landmark U.S.
Supreme Court ruling outlawing separate but equal
schools.
The
discussion will begin at noon Oct. 6 in the Spotts World Cultures
Building Auditorium.
White
will discuss “Paradign shifts: Civilization, education,
culture loss” which deals with the transition from informal
modes of education to a formal mode at the expense of language,
culture and family. Permenter will discuss “From Zitkala Sa
to Acoma” giving an overview of Native American experiences
with formal education in the U.S.
The
program is sponsored by the President’s Commission for Racial
and Ethnic Diversity and is open to the community at
large.
The
university launched its ongoing “Brown v. Board of Education:
Reflections on the Past Fifty Years” series earlier last
month with Juan Williams, author of the non-fiction bestseller
“Eye on the Prize: America’s Civil Rights Years,
1954-1965” and Fox News Channel and National Public Radio
political commentator. It continued with SRU President Robert Smith
presenting “Brown vs. Board of Education: 50 Years Velocity
at all Deliberate Speed: How will SRU Accelerate the Next
50?” followed by Charmaine P. Clowney, director of diversity
and equal opportunity at the Pennsylvania State System of Higher
Education, offering related comments.
On
Thursday Pedro A. Cortez, secretary of the commonwealth of
Pennsylvania, delivered an address detailing his life experiences
related to racial issues and his experiences in helping implement
diversity and equality across the state. Cortes, confirmed by the
state Senate in 2003 after nomination by Gov. Edward Rendell,
administers the department of state and is charged with protecting
the public’s health, safety and welfare. He previously served
as executive director of the Pennsylvania Governor’s Advisory
Commission on Latino Affairs and has served on the Pennsylvania
State Civil Service Commission and in the Pennsylvania department
of public welfare.
“Separate
but Equal: A Student’s Perspective,” sponsored by
SRU’s Black Action Society, is set for 7 p.m. Oct. 7 in the
University Union. The event will allow students to share their
views on the Brown v. Board of Education ruling and its effects on
society.
On
Oct. 8, the Honorable Nelson Diaz, the first Latino to serve as
general counsel to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban
Development and the first non-majority administrative law judge in
Pennsylvania, will lecture on breaking barriers and his own
leadership success. The address will be presented at 6:30 p.m. in
the University Union.
SRU’s Frederick Douglas Institute will sponsor “The
Great Debate: DuBois and Carver” in which students will
discuss the different educational philosophies of W.E.B. Dubois, a
scholar devoted to attacking injustice and defending freedom, and
nationally known educator Booker T. Washington. The dialogue is
expected to generate current-day implications based on the two
theories. The 6:30 p.m. Oct. 19 program will be presented in the
Eisenberg Classroom Building Auditorium.
“Brown
v. Board: The History, Law and Impact” will be staged in the
University Union at 6 p.m. Nov. 16 and Nov. 18 as a panel
discussion led by Dr. Richard Martin, professor and chair of
SRU’s political science department, and on Nov. 22, a
“Town Hall Meeting on Race Relations” will be held at 7
p.m. in Ebenezer Church, 1119 S. Jefferson St., New
Castle.
The
series ends with a weeklong series of films set for 6:30 p.m. Nov.
30-Dec. 2 in the Eisenberg Classroom Building Auditorium sponsored
by the Harry M. Warmer Film Institute.
PN, PgN, WPN, PR, PT
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